Special to The Beacon
The Georgia Department of Education released data showing continued positive impacts of CTAE programs around the state on several factors.
Career, Technical And Agricultural Education (CTAE) students’ impacts including academic success, workforce development and graduation rates.
Data consistently show impact of these pathway programs on students both in school and beyond graduation. CTAE students tend to graduate at a higher rate (+22 percent statewide higher than non-CTAE students) as well as go on to post-secondary options (+23.9%) at a higher rate with many entering high-demand careers in our state.
CTAE pathway completers continually graduate at rates above 97% in the state. These students are able to make a clear, practical and relevant connection between academic knowledge and application in a real-world setting.
Although it may be smaller than many districts in the state, the Brantley County School System has made it a goal to offer competitive opportunity for its graduates.
The school system focuses on career education and skill sets K-12 through regular academic activities as well as specialty pathway feeder programs such as our STEAM classes (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) within the elementary and middle schools. The focus on career- based skills help students develop a knowledge base of possible high-demand careers as well as apply skill sets in a variety of areas to gauge the interests early on in their educational journey.
Once the students reach Brantley County High School, they are able to try multiple CTAE or Arts options, or to work on a specific pathway completion, often with certifications and/or college course credit they can take with them into college or workforce locations beyond graduation.
This foundation and variety of opportunities is paying off in a huge way with a 97% CTAE concentrator post-secondary placement rate–meaning our CTAE pathway students are 29.7% more likely to enter college/training programs, employment, or military assignments within six months of graduation (latest data 2024).
In addition to taking next steps once graduated, many BCHS students are able to gain valuable academic success and work experience within their high school career. On state assessments, students in CTAE classes often outperform their non-CTAE peers.
In 2024, 87% of students enrolled in a single CTAE course at BCHS, and, of those taking the Milestone End-of-Course test, 81% demonstrated proficiency in ELA.
Moving beyond the classroom, in 2023-24, BCHS had 77 Work-Based Learning employers and 84 student workers. These students earned $557,439, helping them earn income and helped to prepare them for next steps in their lives.
The school system is grateful to the many employers who gave students on-the-job training and experience to serve as resume builders for future jobs, application skills for college, or even a permanent position in the current company.
“CTAE isn’t just helping students graduate, we can directly see how it’s equipping them for successful futures,” said State School Superintendent Richard Woods. “Whether that’s enrollment, enlistment, employment or entrepreneurship, CTAE prepares Georgia students for highdemand careers and invests directly into a thriving workforce for our state.”
Ensuring this goal of preparing students for life beyond graduation, BCHS currently offers pathways in the arts as well as other high-demand employment areas including Audio/Visual Tech, Engineering, Education, Ag and Forestry areas, Culinary Arts, Sports Medicine and Healthcare related fields, Financial Services, Game Design, Welding, Cosmetology, ROTC and more.
“Our CTAE programs give students purpose and direction while strengthening their academic success,” said Brantley County High School CTAE Director Jonathan Barrett. “Our goal is to build the capacity for success in every student. At BCHS, we offer 24 pathways from 12 different CTAE clusters. Three of our pathways are dual enrollment pathways and 20 of them are on the state’s High-Demand Pathway List.
“We have incredible CTAE teachers across the district. They put in countless hours to create handson learning experiences that truly connect education to opportunity. We believe career inspiration should begin early with our young Herons as well. This is why Brantley County CTAE extends its reach from elementary agriculture through middle school connection classes and into our high school pathways.
“Across the district, our teachers are helping students discover their interests early, develop valuable skills and build a strong foundation for a successful future. Their dedication and passion make all the difference in preparing our students to succeed anywhere their future takes them.”
